Surface cooler



A. Q FLINDT SURFACE COOLER Jan. 16,

Filed Deo. l, 1936 /5 ,3a al l/ DVQDJCOT: AHDeT-t O. Fund J ttohney.

Plantea Jen. 16, 1940 2,187,555

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oi-FlcE :.isuss sUarAcE cooLEa Albert 0. Fiindt, Schenectady, N. Y., assignmto General Electric Company, Schenectady, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 1, 1936, Serial No. 113,638 8 Chime. (CL 257-239) My invention relates to surface coolers, and each-other through a plurality of similar tube more particularly to surface coolers such as used constructions I2. The headers I and II are in electrical apparatus or dynamo-electric marigidly held in spaced relation by two substantim chines. tially parallel spaced sheets Il provided with In surface coolers, the cooling medium is usuflanged ends Ila secured thereto. 'I'he sheets I3 15 ally passed between suitable headers through a form opposed side walls of a chamber I4 which plurality of tubes supported by tube plates in the encloses the tube 'constructions I2, and are proheaders, and the medium to be cooled or convided with flanged sides I5 which support suitdensed is passed over the outside of the tubes able connections for passing a medium to be l0 within an enclosing chamber. The medium after cooled through the chamber Il in contact with 10 It has been cooled or condensed is then collected the tube constructions I2. and employed as desired. In ships or other in- The header III, as best shown in Fig. 2, includes stallations employing impure or salt water as a a flanged end plate I8 and an upstanding particooling medium, it is very important that the tion I1 which forms two chambers I8 and I9 l5 medium cooled or condensed in the surface cooler therein, communicating respectively with the 15 does not come into contact with the cooling meback rows and the front rows of the tube condium, as the latter would contaminate the mestructions I2. 'Ihe end plate I6 is provided with dium cooled or condensed.' However, in actual two flanged couplings 20 and 2l communicating, practice this is a thing diflicult to prevent as often respectively, with the chambers I8 and I9 in the one or more of the joints between the tubes and header I0. 'I'he header II is provided with a 2 the tube plates in the headers become loose ilanged end plate 22 having a chamber therein in and the cooling medium leaks into the enopen communication with all of tube construcclosing chamber containing the medium to be tions I2. The flanged couplings 20 and 2I are cooled. Furthermore, the tubes themselves often connected, respectively, to a source 0f supply of 25 develop leaks or burst due to becoming corroded, cooling water or other medium and an outlet 2i pitted or cracked, for example, resulting in leaktherefor. The cooling water, such as salt water, ing of the cooling medium into the enclosing for example, enters the flanged coupling 2II in the chamber containing the medium to be cooled. direction of the arrow 23, passes into the cham- Accordingly, an object of my invention is to ber I8 of the header III and down through the provide an improved surface cooler construction back rows of the tube constructions I2 into the 3( which will prevent contact between the cooling header II. The cooling water then passes from medium and the medium to be cooled, the header II through the front rows of the tube Further objects and advantages of my invenconstructions I2 into the chamber I 9 in the header tion will become apparent as the following del0, from which it is discharged through the scription proceeds, and the features of novelty flanged coupling 2| in the dreCtiOn 0f the rrOW 3i' which characterize my invention will be pointed 24 into an outlet. Thus the cooling water travout with particularity ln the claims annexed to erses the length of chamber Il in both direcand forming a part of this specification. tions through the tube constructions I2, which For 'a better understanding of my invention permits the cooling water to absorb heat from the 40 reference may be had to the accompanying drawmedium to be cooled which is passed through the 4( ing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a surchamber Il over the tube constructions I2. face cooler embodying nw invention with the Referring to Flg. 3 it will be seen that each of cover plate removed; Fig. 2 is an end elevation, the tube constructions I2 includes a metallic heat partly in section, of the surface cooler shown in exchange tube 30 communicating between the Fig. l; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of e headers III and II and secured by expanding and 45 portion of the surface cooler of Fig. l, showing flaring the ends of the same in an opening 3Ia in the connection between a tube, a tube plate, and a tube plate 3| provided each of the headers, and a conduit surrounding a tube; Fig. 4 is an ena metallic conduit 32 closely Surrounding and larged sectional view of the tube and the surtightly fitting the tube 30 in surface-to-surface or 5o rounding conduit shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 metal-to-metal contact therewith. Adjacent the 50 is a perspective view of the surrounding conduit tube plate 3i there is provided an auxiliary plate shown in Fles. 3 and 4. 33 having an opening 33a therein which is aligned Referring to the drawing. in Fig. 1 I have axially with the opening 3Ia in the plate 3| to shown a surface cooler comprising two spaced allow the tube 30 to pass through the auxiliary apart headers I0 and II communicating with plate. 'I'he end of the conduit 32 is secured by 55 expandingandilaringthesameinthecpening 33a in the auxiliary plate. The auxiliary plate 33 isspacedfromthetube plate ashortdhtance to provide a space 34 therebetween.

One or more passages 33 are provided between the contacting surfaces of the tube 3l and the conduit 32 which communicate with the space 34 between the plates 3l and 33. 'Ihese passages 3l vbetween the contacting surfaces of the tube 30 and the conduit 32 are provided by forming a number of grooves in the exterior surface of the tube 3U, by forming a number of grooves in the interior surface of the conduit 32, or by forming grooves in both of the surfaces. Howeverdue to the fact that it is often desirable to replace one of the tubes 30 during service, I prefer that the tube 30 be of conventional construction having a smooth exterior surface. Accordingly, the interior surface of. the conduit 32 is provided with a plurality of grooves or flutes 33 in its interior surface extending throughout the length of the conduit. The exterior surface of the conduit 32 is provided with a suitable nned structure 36 secured thereto in good heat exchange relationship therewith. For example, the finned structure 36 may be secured to the conduit 32 in any suitable manner, as by welding, soldering, brazing or the like. Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be observed that the interior surface of the conduit 32 directly engages the exterior surface of the tube 30 entirely about its circumference, except for the widths of the grooves 3l formed in the interior surface of the conduit 32, at which points passages are formed between the tube and the conduit extending throughout the lengths of these members. These passages formed by the grooves 33 serve to conduct any cooling water leaking from the tube 30 to the exterior of the surface cooler as heretofore explained. Heat absorbed in the chamber I4 by the finned structure 33 readily passes through the conduit 32 to the tube 30 and into the cooling water passing therethrough, which carries the heat to the exterior of the surface cooler. Thus, an improved heat exchange construction is provided which has substantially the same thermal conductivity as ordinary solid tube constructions and which also prevents damage due to leaking tubes. Furthermore, the conduit 32 closely surrounding the tube 30 reinforces the latter and reduces strains therein due to the pressure of the cooling water owing therethrough.

A plurality of tube constructions I2 such as described above extend between the headers Il and Il and are arranged in staggered relationship, as will be observed in Fig. 2, in 'order to provide a zig-zag path for the medium to be cooled which is passed through the chamber I4 over the tube constructions.

A communication is established between the space 34 and the exterior of the surface cooler by drilling an opening 31 in the plate 3l near the bottom of the space 34 and drilling another opening 33 in the plate 3l in intersecting relationship with the opening 31. A pipe 33 is threaded into the opening 33 to conduct any cooling water 'leaking into the space 34 to a drain. Suitable gaskets 40 and 4| are interposed. respectively, between the end plate I3 and the tube plate 3I and between the tube plate 3l and the auxiliary plate 33 and the header assembly is securely fastenedvto the flanged ends of the sheets I3 to provide a rugged joint therebetween. A series of bolts 42 are passed through aligned openings provided in the flanged end I3a of the sheets I3,'the

suxiuarypnte as, the gasket, thetubeplsteu, Y

the gasket 43 and bosses 44 formed on the end` plate Il.

The header IIvis provided with a tube plate andanauxiliaryplateconstructedinamanner similar to that described in connection with theheader Il,andissecuredinalikem`anner to the flanged ends Ila of the sheets I3 to provide a unitary surface cooler construction.

In the surface cooler described above, if any cooling water should leak from the headers Il and I I due to faulty joints between the heat exchange tubes 30 and the tube plates 3i, it will be collected in the spaces 34 at either end of the surface cooler and discharged through the pipe 39 to the exterior of the surface cooler. Likewise any cooling water leaking from a heat exchange tube 30 along its length due to a rupture or opening therein will be collected by its surrounding conduit 32 and conducted through the grooves 33 in the interior surface thereof to the spaces 34 at either end of the surface cooler from which the leaking cooling water will be discharged to the exterior of the surface cooler. Thus, it is apparent that no cooling water may gainentrance to the chamber I4 to be commingled with the medium to be cooled passing therethrough. My surface cooler is particularly adapted for use on ships or the like, which employ salt water from the ocean for cooling the various heat exchange devices employed aboard the ships. It is evident from the foregoing that I have provided a surface cooler construction which positively prevents contact between the cooling water circulatedv through the headers and heat exchange tubes therein and the medium to be cooled which is passed over the heat exchange tubes. g

While I have described my invention' in connection with a surface cooler, it will be apparent that it is applicable to other heat exchange devices, and I do not desire my invention to be limited .to the specinc embodiment shown and described, and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modications thereof which do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A surface cooler comprising a chamber. a heat exchange tube extending into said chamber, means for connecting said tube to a source of cooling liquid supply, and a leakage interceptor conduit extending along the length of said tube and closely surrounding said tube in surface-tosurface contact therewith, said tube and saidA conduit having a passage arranged therebetween communicating with the exterior of said chamber.

2. A surface cooler comprising a chamber, a heat exchange tube extending into said chamber, means for connecting said tube to a source of cooling liquid supply. and a leakage interceptor conduit extending along the length of said tube and closely surroundins said tube in heat exchange relationship therewith, said conduit having a ute formed on the interior surface thereof extending along its length and communicating with the exterior of said chamber.

3. In a heat exchanger, a pair of spaced headers, a series of tubes extending between said headers for liquid flow from one header to the other, a leakage interceptor tube embracing each liquid ow tube, said tubes having their adjacent surfaces closely tted together throughout aportionoftheirextentforthereadytrans l tubes, and a header independent of the rst mentioned headers and common to the several passages for receiving the liquid leakage from the first mentioned tubes.

4. In a heat exchanger, a pair of spaced headers, iluid ow passages connecting the headers and each comprising an inner tube having opposite ends in communication with the headers for iluid ilow therethrough, an outer tube closely tted to the inner tube for the direct flow of f; heat from one tube to the other, peripheral n formations carried by the outer tube in the path of fluid flow exeriorly of the tube, and a duct formed in the abutting surfaces of the tubes to provide a drainage canal for uid leakage from the interior of the inner tube, and a collecting chamber common to the ducts of the several passages.

5. An air cooler including a pair of spaced headers, a series of tubes connecting the headers for the ow of liquid from one to the other, outer tubes exposed to air currents and tightly sleeved on the respective liquid ow tubes, heat absorbing ilns carried tubes, a drain duct formed in at least one oi' the abutting surfaces of the tubes to carry oil' liquid leakage from the inner tube and a collecting chamber common to the drain ducts of the several tubes.

6. In an air cooler of the class described, a pair of spaced headers adapted for connection with a liquid circulating system, a series of liquid ilow tubes connecting the headers, a liquid leakage interceptor enclosing each tube and comprising a sleeve ailording conveyance for liquid leakage from the tube and having an inside diameter substantially corresponding to the outperipherally on the outer side diameter of the tube for a closely fitted intimate surface contact throughout the entire surface area of the tube except for a.v passage formed on the inner surface of said sleeve, fins peripherally carried by the sleeve and adapted to be traversed by air currents for the direct transfer of heat through the ns, the sleeve and the tube between the air flowing over the ns and the liquid flowing through the tube, and a liquid leakage collecting chamber common to the several interceptor sleeves.

7. In a motor or generator air cooler, a pair of spaced tanks having inlet and outlet connections for the flow of cooling liquid, a series of heat exchanging tube assemblies joining said tanks and each comprising a pair of nested tubes, with the opposite ends of the inner tube only in communication with said tanks for the transfer of liquid from one to the other and air fins carried by the outer tube to project into the path of air ow for the exchange of heat between liquid flowing through the inner tube and air flowing over the ns, one of said tubes being formed so as to provide a drainage canal between said tubes and a drain collecting header communicating with the ends oi' the outer tubes of the several assemblies to receive liquid leakage through the inner tube walls and intercepted by the outer tubes.

8. In a cooler of the character described, a pair of headers, a series of heat exchanger conduits. each comprising an inner tube having its opposite ends connected with said headers for uid flow from one header to the other and a fluid leakage interceptor tube sleeved upon and closely tted to the inner tube and drain means associated with the several interceptor tubes, said means including a drainage collecting chamber common to al1 the interceptor tubes.

ALBERT O. FLINDT. 

